MANILA, Philippines — The Boston Celtics are expected to make All-Star guard Kemba Walker a four-year, $141 million contract offer when free agency opens Sunday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
Walker, who spent his first eight seasons in the league with the Charlotte Hornets, is expected to accept the offer, Wojnarowski reported, citing league sources.
Just two weeks ago, Walker said he would take less than the five-year, $221 million “supermax” contract only the Hornets could offer him to stay in Charlotte.
Wojnarowski reported Thursday, however, that Hornets owner Michael Jordan no longer is “determined to extend far enough financially to re-sign his franchise player.”
In Boston, Walker would replace Kyrie Irving, who is expected to sign elsewhere. The 29-year-old Connecticut product averaged 25.6 points and 5.9 assists while starting all 82 games for the Hornets last season.
• The Los Angeles Lakers reworked their trade for Anthony Davis to clear enough cap space to sign a free agent to a max deal, according to multiple reports.
The Lakers expanded their pending deal with the New Orleans Pelicans by adding the Washington Wizards, who will receive center Mo Wagner, guard Isaac Bonga and forward Jemerrio Jones, as well as a future second-round pick, from Los Angeles, according to ESPN. The Wizards will send the Pelicans $1.1 million, the Washington Post reported.
Davis also agreed to waive his $4 million trade bonus, giving the team $32 million for the free agency period, which begins Sunday at 6 p.m. ET. Contracts cannot be signed until July 6.
• LeBron James is set to give his No. 23 to Davis, according to Yahoo Sports.
The NBA has been told of the planned change, according to the report.
Davis wore No. 23 during his seven years in New Orleans, and James wore it during his 11 seasons in Cleveland and last year with the Lakers. James chose No. 6 when he joined the Miami Heat in 2010 and played there four seasons. What number James will pick with the Lakers is up in the air.
• The New York Knicks still have hopes of signing Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant or Kawhi Leonard but are preparing for the possibility they don’t land the one they seemingly covet the most: Durant.
The New York Times’ Marc Stein reported the Knicks could offer a one-year contract to Durant’s Golden State Warriors teammate, 6-foot-11 center DeMarcus Cousins, if they can’t lure Durant to Madison Square Garden.
Cousins, who will turn 29 before the season starts, was a four-time All-Star with the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans. He suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon playing for the Pelicans against the Houston Rockets on Jan. 26, 2018, and returned to the NBA a year later.
• The Celtics will hire former WNBA and Olympic champion Kara Lawson as an assistant coach, ESPN reported.
Lawson, 38, has been a TV analyst for ESPN and the Washington Wizards.
source: philstar.com
